Your Twin Self

I have long experienced movies as huge collective dreams. The themes that are in them are potently revealing of what is in the collective psyche. The unconscious, more than the conscious mind, drives the production of these. I am convinced of it.

I rarely see movies on the big screen anymore since I live on a mountain top. But, home for the holidays, I have seen two movies; one of them I saw twice, The Black Swan, and today I saw Tron. I was fascinated today noticing the parallel themes in both of these very different movies – one about the world of classical ballet, and the other a science fiction film about characters caught in a video game cyber-world. As different in genre and probably in audience as they are, both movies are astonishing similar in theme. The main story of each is about a split off twin self, a dark version of the film’s protagonists. Each of the films dealt clearly with the theme that the quest for perfection is a dangerous and failed pursuit, leading to destruction and evil – the splitting of the self between a light side and a dark side. Both of the films were about necessity of integration of the dark self into the acceptable, enculturated self.

I have written in recent weeks on this theme as it has presented itself to me in a variety of ways. “Ways of Imperfection” was the title of one of these recent writings. Life has been teaching me emphatically about the acceptance of imperfection as being a Way, a way to love and understanding, a way reflective of Nature herself, as she is. She is imperfect, and perfect in her imperfection. This theme has been weaving through my thoughts, experiences and dreams for weeks. Then this holiday season, these two very different movies show me the cultural dream – that these themes are also being widely dreamed and imagined. Art is a powerful messenger. We need the messages.

Years ago I studied with a Nigerian shaman for a long period. He told me that I should build an altar to my Twin Self, as his tribal people called it – the self who lives more fully in the spirit world that is yet unknown and unintegrated. I have always remembered this and have had such an altar in my heart, but never physically in my home. When I get back to the mountain, this will be the first thing to do.